4 Day Islay Whisky Tour – Scottish Routes 3 nights B&B accommodation at The Bowmore House Day 1 After departing Edinburgh or Glasgow, your first stop is Deanston Distillery, where you can sample handmade treats in their coffee shop. You will then take a tour of the distillery. Heading north into the Highlands the landscape becomes more mountainous and your guide will tell the history and culture of this stunning part of Scotland. Passing Loch Awe and into Argyllshire, with some great photo stops along the way, you will arrive in the Victorian town of Oban in time for lunch and some exploring. This is the seafood capital of Scotland so make sure you make the most of it. Your tour takes you to the ancient neolithic landscapes of Kilmartin Glen. There are hundreds of ancient monuments and historic sites in this region, some of which you will explore. It is then a short drive down the Kintyre Peninsula to Kennacraig where you will board the evening ferry to Islay. The ferry crossing is around 2 hours and allows for some beautiful views of the islands of Gigha, Jura and Islay as well as the area surrounding West Loch Tarbert.

There is time to relax in the bar with an Islay whisky; grab some dinner from the restaurant and just soak up the sea air before you arrive. On arrival into Port Ellen or Port Askaig it is a short drive to Bowmore to check in to The Bowmore House for your 3 night stay. Days 2 & 3 With 2 full days to explore, there are plenty of options for sightseeing and your guide will share some of their favourite places with you. These can include empty beaches, whitewashed villages, ancient sites, the Kildalton Cross, medieval strongholds, fresh seafood, local wildlife and traditional cultures. With only around 3000 people and 8 world class distilleries, the chances of finding a ‘wee dram’ on Islay are pretty good. The distillery and whisky experiences will give you an insight into Islay’s most famous export. Your day includes a warehouse experience at Lagavulin, lunch and a tour at Ardbeg and a look at the Laphroaig maltings.

Your second day brings a private tour of Bruichladdich, a chance to gaze over the Sound of Jura from the Bunnahabhain and a behind the scenes peek at the independant Kilchoman. Each night on Islay there are plenty of options for eating, drinking and relaxing. Your tour guide will let you know all the best places to get the most out of your time in Bowmore. There is an eating option for all budgets and tastes and with so much local produce on offer you will be spoilt for choice. The whisky bars aren’t too bad either. Slainte Mhath, as they say in Gaelic. Day 4 After a final hearty breakfast, you catch the morning ferry back to Kennacraig. Arriving on the mainland, you head to the loch-side town of Inveraray. This is the seat of the clan Campbell, home to the Loch Fyne Whisky shop and your stop for lunch. After lunch (and some last minute whisky shopping) your journey now hugs the shores of Loch Fyne and Loch Long before climbing up to the Rest and be Thankful pass for sweeping views. Then it is to the shores of Loch Lomond.

With time to stop for some lovely views and stretch of the legs, this is the last stop on your tour before crossing the River Clyde and into Scotland’s largest city of Glasgow. Some of our guests may be leaving the tour here so we may make a short stop in central Glasgow (George Square) before returning to Edinburgh. * Accommodation is on a B&B basis in the Bowmore House. The price is based on 2/3 sharing a twin / double / triple room. There is an additional supplement of £85 for single occupancy. Please note that if the Bowmore House is not available we will source alternative local accommodation of the same standard. ** Due to various reasons (weather, closures and special events) it may not always be possible to visit all distilleries mentioned. Please be aware that, if this is the case, we will ensure that suitable alternatives are found. Additional Information The Islay Whisky Region You are here: Home » Guide To Islay Whisky Region Guide To Islay Whisky Region Islay is the most Southerly Island of the Scottish Hebrides and is home to no less than eight whisky distilleries, nine if you include the Jura Distillery which lies on the neighbouring island of Jura.

This has twin mountains overseeing Islay known as the ‘Paps of Jura’. Islay on a bright sunny day could be a Caribbean island with long sandy beaches a relatively flat landscape; this is truly beautiful part of Scotland. The name Islay means in Gaelic the ‘Queen of the Hebrides’ and was once the political centre of the Hebridean islands. However those bright sunny days are seldom as anyone from Scotland will testify, so if there on holiday and the rain comes in you can choose to visit some of the most popular whisky producing distilleries in Scotland. Strong brand names such as Lagavulin (my personal favourite), Laphroig, Caol Ila, Bruichladdich, Bowmore, Ardbeg, Bunnahabhain and new entries such as the Kilchoman which opened in 2004. It has not been all plain sailing for the whisky distilleries of Islay with many having opened and closed down over the years including Port Ellen, Port Charotte, Lossit, and Daill to name a few. As most whisky (or scotch) fans worldwide will be aware Islay is famous for its peated whiskies which give a smoky taste.

Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Bowmore and Lagavulin have large followings worldwide however it is not only the smoky variety available here. Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich produce less peated varieties and Bruichladdich in particular produces more exotic varieties including using rum casks. Islay is popular with tourists due to the favourable weather conditions in Spring and Summer with many coming from the USA, Japan and Scandanvia to play golf and drink whisky or scotch or whiskey if you prefer. Laphroaig | Scotch Whisky Working Laphroaig History The reason so many existing Islay distilleries came into being before the ‘official’ 1824 start date is down to the influence of Islay’s laird, Walker Frederick Campbell. Islay was less brutally cleared than other islands and as an ‘improving’ landlord Campbell was keen to start new businesses on the island. Islay already had a reputation for moonshine, so legal distilling made sense. The fact that Campbell was also actively involved meant that it was harder to continue with illicit activities.

So, in 1815, brothers Alexander and Donald Johnston built a distillery at Laphroaig. Donald, who ran the distillery, tragically died in 1847 after falling into a vat of boiling pot ale. Laphroaig however remained in the control of D. Johnston & Co. until the 1960s. Its rise to fame began at the start of the 20th century with the arrival of Donald's great-grandson, Ian Hunter. It was he who, in 1908, changed agent from Peter Mackie and prompted the building of Malt Mill. By the 1920s Laphroaig was being sold as a single malt and in 1924, the number of stills were increased to four. On his death in 1954 he left the distillery to his secretary Bessie Williamson who had been the de-facto manager during his extensive international sales trips. American distiller, Schenley, bought into the distillery in the 1960s, buying it outright in 1967.

By the time Bessie retired in 1972, the number of stills had been increased to seven. A period of passing through various hands and amalgamations ended when Jim Beam purchased it from Allied Distillers in 2005. In the intervening period Prince Charles had awarded his favourite single malt his own Royal Warrant. In the same year, 1994, the Friends of Laphroaig was launched, the first of the modern ‘member’s associations’ phenomenon – there are currently 638,000 members. In a creative piece of marketing – initiated by legendary manager Iain Henderson – Friends were given a square foot of Islay which they leased back to the distillery in exchange for a year’s ‘rent’ of a miniature of Laphroaig which could only be claimed by visiting the distillery. Beam’s takeover by Suntory in 2014 has resulted in the Japanese-American giant now owning two of Islay’s eight distilleries.

Timeline Islay Whisky | Islay Scotch - Flaviar PUBLISHED IN scottish whisky regions , peated whisky , scotch , whisky , bruichladdich Join us on our trip to the Whisky regions of Scotland , as we make a stop on Islay! Whisky throbs through the veins of Islay; its salinity permeates the waters, its smoke percolates the peat, its spirit imbues the islanders. The southernmost island of the Southern Hebrides is characterised by carbolic, smoked malts with a pitch northern soul. Even the island’s name is shrouded in complexity; the proper pronunciation of Islay is ‘eye-la’. Whisky from the verve of youth to final goodbyes Whisky is entwined within the islanders' lives. It's customary for those holding events, such as a céilidh , to source a couple of bottles from their local distilleries, so that guests may be greeted with a dram to drink. Meanwhile, the people of Islay will share a bottle of Whisky over a graveside at a funeral, orating stories of the deceased until the last drop has been sipped.

Irish monks are thought to have first distilled Whisky on Islay, and the ghosts of many distilleries still silhouette the island’s fields. Sounds like a great place to visit, doesn't it? Before you go, there’s one thing you should note: People in Islay wave to each other, all the time. Wave back. And now to the Whisky part of your trip. Whisky Distilleries on Islay Aside from Port Ellen’s mythic reputation, there are eight working distilleries on Islay that you can easily fit in a four-day visit. But even if you don't visit them all, do yourself justice and taste their ranges. Oh, and imagine this: until the 1970s, it was normal for either newly distilled spirit or casks bottled to be tried by distillery staff five times a day. With blends making up the majority of Islay sales, this was a good way of determining which casks were worth keeping back to bottle as single malts. Lucky devils! ★ Laphroaig is master of the medicinal malt and its gaelic name means ‘the beautiful hollow by the broad bay’. The Water to Whisky experiences here are infrequently run but thoroughly mastered.

★ Ardbeg's malt is heavily peated with virile salinity and a sultry smokiness, yet the large producer champions careful craft in its production. ★ Bruichladdich has a traditionally floral and fragrant style, but is also known for creating heavily peated expressions; perhaps even, the peatiest Whisky in the world. Tasting three single malts at this distillery, which have never been commercially released, for £25pp, is seductive in itself. ★ Despite its youth, Kilchoman is the only distillery on Islay to create a 100% Islay product from barley to bottle. At £5 for a full range tasting, there’s little room for error. ★ Lagavulin’s love of iodine is its critics' nemesis. Beginning life as two distilleries, rich citric flair characterises Lagavulin’s malts . ★ Caol Ila, or ‘Sound of Islay’, is located on the island’s coastal threshold. The distillery’s pace mirrors the relentless pulse of Islay’s tides; Caol Ila produces 3 million litres of Whisky a year.

★ Smoke, salt and seaweed marry in Bowmore’s malts; each dram is akin to drinking the distillery’s views across Islay. ★ Bunnahabhain means ‘river mouth’ and describes the distillery’s location by the Margadale perfectly. Bracing walks warmed by the oily fruit tones of Bunnahabhain should be compulsory. Islay’s allure subsumes the local’s friendly waves, the island’s silken scallops, its bewitching landscape and, above all, an anchored identity in an archaic trade. Long live Whisky! Islay and the Whisky Coast 4 Day Tour - Edinburgh Departures Islay and the Whisky Coast 4 Day Tour Highlights: ~ The Islay Single Malt Whiskies ~ At least 4 distillery visits ~ Sandy beaches of Islay ~ Inveraray ~ Loch Lomond National Park This unique 4 day tour takes you to the “Queen of the Isles” and the Whisky Coast.

Islay is home to 8 of Scotland’s finest malt whisky distilleries Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Bunnahabhain, Bruichladdich, Ardbeg, Caol Ila and Kilchoman. For the whisky enthusiast this tour will give an in depth knowledge and even better - you won’t need to drive anywhere yourself! But Islay has much more to offer from stunning sandy beaches to fascinating wildlife and a vibrant local culture. Stay 3 nights in the 18th Century village of Bowmore. **Please note the special accommodation arrangements for this tour. If the date you’d like to travel isn’t available, please call us to discuss alternative options. Adult Prices: £239.00 - £279.00 Accommodation **On this tour we have pre-booked a number of rooms in the beautiful Bowmore Distillery Cottages. These are self- catering cottages in the grounds of the distillery itself and offer a unique accommodation experience. The cottages have between 3 and 6 bedrooms (mostly TWIN bedded) and these are all en-suite but are NOT serviced during your stay.

PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO THE SHARED NATURE OF THE ACCOMMODATION INDIVIDUAL BEDROOMS DO NOT HAVE LOCKABLE DOORS. The kitchen and lounge facilities are shared (with other Rabbie's guests) and basic self-service breakfast ingredients will be provided. Full Scottish breakfasts are available at the nearby hotels if you prefer (pay locally). Prices are £42.50 per person per night twin/double share or £75 per night for a single. For this option please select "B&B ensuite" as your first choice when booking the tour online. When these rooms are full we will book you into a nearby B&B. There is also a limited number of 3* hotel rooms available on this tour - for this option please select 3 star hotel as your first choice when booking. We will contact you afterwards to arrange payment for the accommodation. There is no hostel accommodation option for this tour. When do you want to go... Itinerary Day 1 We leave Edinburgh at 08.30 and travel through the western Highlands to Oban. You’ll have a couple of hours here to visit the Oban Distillery and sample local seafood for lunch.

After a short ferry ride we’ll arrive in Bowmore for your 3-night stay. Day 2 Today we have a mixture of beautiful scenery, white sand beaches and the famous Islay whiskies - renowned for their strong peaty flavours and nurtured by the salty sea air. The day’s highlights include the lovely sandy bays of Islay’s west coast, Kilchoman Distillery and Bowmore Distillery. Day 3 Explore the south side of Islay, home to Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg where you will have a tour, tasting and lunch with local produce. Then visit Laphroaig and if time allows, try a tasting at Lagavulin. It may also be possible to see the ruins of Kildalton church with its famous 8th Century Celtic cross. Day 4 This morning we take the ferry back to the mainland. Our lunch stop will be in the beautiful little village of Inveraray on the banks of Loch Fyne. In the late afternoon we travel past Loch Lomond before arriving in Edinburgh at around 19.30. Departure Point ~Transportation by a top of the range 16 seat Mercedes mini-coach.

~Air Conditioning as standard. ~Services of a professional Rabbie's driver/guide ~All ferry and bridge crossings. Exclusions: All meals and refreshments. Entrance fees to all Visitor Attractions Please note: Entry and tasting fees at the distilleries are NOT included in the price to give you more choice and the options of extra tastings on the day. Allow approximately £30-40 for the tours and tastings. Accommodation On this tour we have pre-booked a number of rooms in the beautiful Bowmore Distillery Cottages. These are self- catering cottages in the grounds of the distillery itself and offer a unique accommodation experience. The cottages have between 3 and 6 bedrooms (mostly TWIN bedded) and these are all en-suite but are NOT serviced during your stay. PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO THE SHARED NATURE OF THE ACCOMMODATION INDIVIDUAL BEDROOMS DO NOT HAVE LOCKABLE DOORS. The kitchen and lounge facilities are shared (with other Rabbie's guests) and basic self-service breakfast ingredients will be provided. Full Scottish breakfasts are available at the nearby hotels if you prefer (pay locally).

Prices are £42.50 per person per night twin/double share or £75 per night for a single. For this option please select "B&B ensuite" as your first choice when booking the tour online. When these rooms are full we will book you into a nearby B&B. There is also a limited number of 3* hotel rooms available on this tour - for this option please select 3 star hotel as your first choice when booking. We will contact you afterwards to arrange payment for the accommodation. There is no hostel accommodation option for this tour. Discount Price Students and Seniors over 60 (we regret we do not carry children under 18 years old on this tour) Important Information We like to give you plenty of opportunities to go on nature walks, so we recommend you bring suitable clothing and footwear for your tour. Scotland can be a wet place!! Unless otherwise notified passengers are restricted to one medium sized suitcase/bag (maximum 15 kilos) and one carry-on bag per person. Customer Reviews This was my second Rabbies tour and look forward to going on more. Driver/ Guides Dan Doug were excellant, informative, fun, whisky lovers.

Its a great way to sample good whisky see the beautiful country of Scotland. I especially loved meeting getting to know the people on the tour.. Erika B - 22/11/2016 Diese Tour war gut organisiert, stressfrei, sehr interessant und Erlebnisurlaub pur. Vielen Dank an unseren immer gut gelaunten, mit vielen nützlichen Infos in einem verständlichen Englisch versorgenden Guide PETE (Peter)!!! So eine tolle Tour habe ich noch nicht miterleben dürfen. Empfehlung: immer wieder mit Rabbies. Ralf Funken - 22/05/2016 We enjoyed an amazing Islay tour 15-18 May with Mac as our guide. His encyclopedic knowledge of recent and past Scottish history as well as folklore, and his natural ability as a story teller really made the tour. Mac went out of his way to allow a diverse group of people to meld and have a great time. There was always enough, but never too much to do. The self catering cottage was like home, and the bus really comfortable. Great group size too.

We are already hoping to do the Speyside tour before too long. MichaelS - 24/05/2015 4 days Whisky Tour - Islay with Emily and Gill the best Tourguide and driver :) We had such a wonderful time at the Islay. The accomontation at bowmore was just beautiful. Emilys knowledge and organization is great, she tould us so many interesting things and storys and showed us wonderful places. Still got the sound of Loch Lomond, the wonderful place of Finlaggan in my mind (and a little smell of peat any whisky in my nose). Thank you very much for this great time! Many greetings from germany! Slàinte mhath! Christian Weber - 22/05/2015 On 2nd September, our party of 4 returned from our second Rabbie’s whisky tour which was every bit as good as the first. Most of the time was spent on Islay, which was beautiful, quiet and relaxing. The good weather was an added bonus. There was plenty to hold the interest of those of us who weren’t primarily there for the whisky!

For those who were the whisky didn’t disappoint and we left with several bottles from various distilleries We were fortunate enough to have great travel companions from around the world. Our housemates for the 3 nights we were in Bowmore were delightful. Thoughtful placing on behalf of the company we think Roland, our driver and guide, was brilliant. He was entertaining and attentive, thoughtful and considerate. There was never a dull moment. And he was every bit as good as Eric (our guide and driver on our previous trip) who was a hard act to follow. We will certainly hope to do a Rabbie’s tour again and we will certainly recommend Rabbie’s to our friends Thank you to all who were involved in making our holiday enjoyable and memorable. David and Liz Longley - 09/09/2014 This summer we were at your whiskey trip from Edinburgh to Islay. It was the June 30-July 3 and our guide was Pete (Party Pete). It was a fantastic trip and Pete was absolutely outstanding. It's not often you can give ten out of ten.

His excellent knowledge of history to the present day as he guided us in a very nice and easy to understand (for us non-English speaking) way. And of course, his presentation of the different whiskey distilleries. His blend of Scottish music also gave the trip a dimension. Thanks for the introduction to the band Runrig now played frequently at home. And again. Thanks Pete for the best experience on our two week tour of Scotland. Ronny & Ulla Melbeus Tinna & Sven Lidgren Sweden Ronny Melbeus - 20/08/2014 This was my 60th Birthday Present. My wife sent my son and I on this tour. Having been on a number of tours around the world I appreciate the difference having a good tour guide makes. Roland took care of everything and enhanced the tour. We went to six of the distilleries on Islay, The tour was everything you could want and more. We stayed in the cottages at Bowmore and enjoyed the food in the local pubs and hotels.

One interesting point is that talking to people in Edinburgh when they asked where are you from and where did you go in conversation in various places on the Royal Mile, when we told them we had been on a Rabbie's Tour to Islay, the reply was 'Rabbies. They've got a good reputation' Enough said. Gary Williamson - 16/06/2014 Just a point I raised and want to elaborate on, we requested water to cleanse the palate between tastings so we could taste all the subtle differences. According to Jim Murray's 'Whisky Bible' he uses coffee beans, as do all the good perfume houses so you can smell the nose properly. It would be an idea to improve the experience and get even more from it if the distilleries, or the tour or the advice was given to sip water, nibble a cracker and sniff some coffee beans between tastings. Gary Williamson - 16/06/2014 Highly recommendable Wisky Tour to Islay. Our Tourguide Roland was fantastic. Entertainment combined with Informations and a great sense of humour.....we'll definitely come back for another Tour with Rabbies.

Eva & Thomas Eva & Thomas Koch - 15/06/2014 My son and I thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Islay and especially the whiskey tasting. 'Party Pete' was a fabulous tour guide. His knowledge and history of the area was much appreciated. The weather was not great, but it really made no difference. Our accommodation was exceptional. Thanks again to Rabbies. This was my 4th tour with Rabbies and without hesitation if I'm ever in Edinburgh again and want a tour I will book with Rabbies. May Anderson - 11/06/2014 Traveller Photos View complete album Full Itinerary (English) Day 1 Leaving Edinburgh at 08.30 you will head into the Highlands with a short stop in the holiday town of Callander for refreshments. After travelling through the mountainous northern part of the Loch Lomond National Park you will arrive in the busy harbour town of Oban. You will have a couple of hours here with the chance to visit the Oban Distillery and sample some local seafood for lunch.

You will then depart Oban mid-afternoon for the journey through Kilmartin Glen and onwards to the port of Kennacraig to catch the evening ferry to Islay. The sail is just over 2 hours and you should look out for wildlife such as dolphins, whales and seabirds. On arrival on Islay it is a short drive to Bowmore for your 3 night stay Day 2A full day exploring Islay, with a mixture of beautiful scenery, white sand beaches, and of course the famous Islay whiskies - renowned for their strong peaty flavours and nurtured by the salty sea air. In the morning we will take the short drive to the west of the island where, following a bracing stroll at Machair Bay, we visit visit Kilchoman Distillery, the newest and smallest on the island for the first of our guided tours. After taking lunch in the distillery, we continue to the scenic Rhins of Islay to visit another distillery we will be able to drop you at Bruichladdich for a tasting and visit to the shop. Then you will head back to Bowmore where you will have the chance to visit Bowmore distillery or just relax and explore the village.

Day 3Another day in paradise! Today you will explore the southern side of the island, home to the smokiest and peatiest of all whiskies – Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Ardbeg. We will visit Ardbeg for a tour, tasting and lunch. The restaurant here is a beautiful place to relax and enjoy local produce as well as some unique whisky. We follow this up with a visit to Laphroaig and if time allows a short stop for a tasting at Lagavulin. It should also be possible to visit to the ruins of Kildalton church with its famous 8th Century Celtic cross. Day 4This morning you take the ferry back to the mainland. From here the tour continues round the coast to the beautiful little village of Inveraray on the banks of Loch Fyne. The town is full of historic buildings with old ships in the harbour and a great whisky shop! Finally you will return via Loch Lomond to Edinburgh for approx. 19.30.

Photography Credits: Visit Britain, Visit Scotland, Britainonview, Mike Hasted, Luke Sheppard, Ingrid Rasmussen, Pawel Libera, Tony Pleavin, Craig Easton, David Angel, Martin Brent, Bob Berry, Paul Watts Colman Andrews posted Dec 8th, 2000 at 12:00am Howard Sooley It occurred to me about halfway through the afternoon one day last May as I waded in the shallow water at the edge of Loch Gruinart on the Scottish island of Islay, rummaging through clumps of seaweed and peering into fissures in the rocks looking for mussels, that maybe I wasn't doing my job very well. Maybe, I thought, I should be back at Bowmore or Caol Ila or another of the island's six malt whisky distilleries, asking questions about phenols and fusel oils or washes and worts—instead of slogging through salt water in green plastic wellies with Jim McEwan, looking for supper.

Then I stood up straight for a moment, breathed in the sharp sea smells of iodine and salt, and looked around at the vividly beclouded sky, at the endless hills in one direction and the endless water in another, at the black-faced lambs skittering across grass-topped dunes and the speckled harriers lofted high above our heads by the wind, at the wisp of Northern Ireland's Antrim coast faintly visible on the horizon—and it became clear to me that just by being here and breathing in the atmosphere, literally and figuratively, I was probably learning more about Islay malt—the best whisky in the world, in my book, and certainly the least compromising one—than any distillery tour could teach me. The island of Islay (pronounced ''EYE-la''), the southernmost of the Inner Hebrides, is about 80 miles west of Glasgow, facing the peninsula of Kintyre on the Scottish mainland. It is an awkwardly shaped, geographically varied island—a thick stump of land with a bump of a plateau at the southern end and a long appendage jutting down from its northwestern corner.

The beaches of Islay are broad, often merging into marshy salt flats, and it is not uncommon to see shaggy Highland cattle moping across expanses of damp sand. In the interior, there are vast acreages of flat farmland and peat moor. In the spring (when I visited), the heather is mute (it flowers in fall), but the gorse—known locally as whin—is everywhere in bloom, illuminating the landscape with its intense, dark yellow blossoms. (They smell, improbably, of coconut.) The first known inhabitants of Islay were farmers from the mainland, who arrived around 4300 B.C. They may have cultivated barley here, but the process of converting it into strong alcohol, through fermentation and then distillation, didn't reach Islay until the 16th century—when it was most likely brought across the water by Irish monks. Today, barley is raised on Islay only for animal feed, and grain for whisky making is brought in—but the island has a seemingly inexhaustible supply of two other substances essential to the fashioning of malt whisky: freshwater and peat (see box below).

It also has generous access to a third highly influential flavoring component: the sea. ''To say, as some do, that the ocean doesn't affect the whisky is nonsense,'' says Mike Nicolson, manager of the celebrated Islay distillery Lagavulin. ''Our warehouses are all smack by the ocean, and while the maritime influence may be invisible, it's strong and constant.'' The whisky barrels absorb the air and sea spray, and inevitably a ghost of salt remains to haunt the alcohol. In addition, the peat that smokes and flavors the malted barley before it is fermented contains compressed, partially carbonized salt grass and iodine-rich seaweed. Though there are certainly differences between them, Islay malts thus end up having in common what artist, author, and whisky lover Ralph Steadman has called ''a strong salt-sprayed, aye, aye, Cap'n, seaweedy flavour.'' They taste and smell, that is, of salt and iodine and kelpy sweetness (besides the smoke and yeast and grain that all malts reveal). What I found myself surrounded by that afternoon at Loch Gruinart wasn't just background color, then; it was Islay malt itself.

Most fo the whisky made in Scotland is based on wheat and other cereals, distilled in massive devices known as patent, or continuous, stills, and is comparatively neutral in character. Malt whisky, on the other hand, is made from malted barley and distilled in copper pot stills (like those used for cognac and armagnac), and it has not only character to spare but strong regional identity. Blended scotch is a mix of grain and malt whiskies (with malt in the minority). When the unique yield of Scotland's hundred-plus malt distilleries is bottled unblended, it is known as single malt. Most distilleries now use malted barley from commercial processing plants around Scotland. Seven distilleries, however, still produce a portion of their own malt—among them, two on Islay: Bowmore and Laphroaig. The grain is soaked in water, then spread out to germinate—a process whereby insoluble starch becomes soluble starch. To stop the germination and add flavor to the finished whisky, the malted barley is next dried over smoky peat fires in huge kilns.

Then the dried malt is ground to grist and mixed with hot water in huge round tubs called mash tuns. A portion of the soluble starch in the malt converts to sugar, yielding a sweet liquid called wort. This is drained off, cooled, dosed with yeast, and fermented for about two days. (''The fruit flavors in whisky and the floral aromas—sweet peas, roses, primroses—all come from the yeast,'' says Jim McEwan.) The fermented wort, or wash (basically sweet, smoky-tasting beer), is distilled twice in copper stills. The resulting alcohol is then aged in wood (see Foreign Wood)—rarely for less than ten years or more than 25, though some rarities can be up to 40 years old. There are now six distilleries on Islay—a lot for an island with fewer than four thousand inhabitants.

(A seventh Islay distillery, Bruichladdich, has been mothballed since 1995; an eighth one of recent memory, Port Ellen, in the town of the same name, is closed for good—though its gutted buildings still stand, and its whisky can still be found.) The best-known Islay whisky internationally is undoubtedly Laphroaig, whose current American advertising campaign stresses the love-it-or-hate-it reaction it tends to evoke in first-time drinkers. Iain Henderson, Laphroaig's distillery manager, waxes eloquent about the purity and sophistication of his facility: ''We use an amalgamation of technologies from all over the world. A combination of old and new.'' Volumes, times, and temperatures are controlled by computer, and there is much stainless steel where other distilleries might use wood. What makes each malt whisky unique, he continues, are water, malt specifications, the size and shape of the wash still [in which the first distillation takes place], the quality of the aging casks, and the location of the aging cellars.

''It's an accident of geography that we can make and mature this kind of whisky here.'' Indeed, a not dissimilar malt is made by Laphroaig's immediate neighbor, Lagavulin—which is becoming increasingly popular, thanks in large part to an aggressive marketing campaign by its owner, the massive United Distillers & Vintners: United, whose roster includes some 27 whisky distilleries from every production area in Scotland (including another one on Islay; see below), packages Lagavulin as one of its six Classic Malts, and thus the whisky finds itself on many of the best bars in America. (It is the best seller of the six.) Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and a third distillery, Ardbeg, are practically next to each other, along a stretch of Islay's southern coast just east of Port Ellen.

The three make a dramatic sight, especially from the air (the tiny turboprops that fly regularly between Glasgow and Islay pass right overhead): Set at the water's edge and framed by craggy, black, seaworn rocks, the distilleries are whitewashed to an Andalusian purity, with whisky-blackened roofs and malting kilns rising up like stout chimneys, their pagoda-shaped ventilator hoods on top. Until last summer, though, Ardbeg was idle and in disrepair. Now, under the ownership of the Glenmorangie company, it's come to life again and is producing more of its acclaimed whisky—certainly the most potent and concentrated in ''aye, aye, Cap'n'' flavor of any single malt. ''The character of Ardbeg is so strong that it greatly influences any blend it's added to,'' explains Edwin Dodson, a veteran distillery manager brought in to supervise the start-up, ''so when there was enough for immediate blending, production stopped.

Now, we hope that more and more might be able to be absorbed into the single malt market.'' The original Caol Ila distillery (the name, pronounced ''cole-EE-la'', means ''Sound of Islay''), was torn down in the 1970s and replaced with a modern, rather anonymous facility—and its owner, United Distillers again, has used it as a kind of utility player, to produce whisky of whatever character is needed at the time for blending in the firm's many brands. Currently, the style is light for an Islay, but delicate and complex. Besides being sold as a single malt, Caol Ila is used in such famous whiskies as Johnny Walker Black Label and Bell's 8-Year-Old. ''I am told that they can use quite a high percentage without dominating the blend,'' David Hardy, the distillery's operations manager, told me rather dryly.

The gray stucco Bunnahabhain distillery, remote even by Islay standards, at the end of a long, narrow, winding country road near the island's northern tip, produces what is surely the least Islay-like of Islay malts—lightly peaty, with a hint of iodine character revealed only if you really look for it. It is an elegant malt, though, and, says John Mac- Lellan, Bunnahabhain's brewer, whisky lovers doing the distillery tour often find their way to this remote location. ''Touring is getting to be quite a hobby,'' he notes. ''Some people collect bottles. Some ask us to sign their guidebooks. The really decent people, of course, just buy some whisky and take it home and drink it.'' Bowmore, said to be the fastest growing of all single malt brands in Britain, offers a wide range of malts of varying ages and specifications. Jim McEwan was manager of the Bowmore distillery—in the town of the same name, which is the island's capital—when I first met him in New York City a few years back.

Now, he's general manager of Morrison-Bowmore Distillers, Bowmore's parent company—in turn owned by Japanese whisky giant Sun-tory. When McEwan shows visitors around Islay, the tour becomes, for him, at least in part an exercise in autobiography: Across from the main gate of the distillery, for instance, is the island's sole outpost of the Royal Bank of Scotland. ''I was born in the house that used to be right there,'' he says. On a road in the middle of the island, he points off to a large house hidden behind a hedgerow. ''That's where my grandmother used to work as a housekeeper,'' he recalls. We pass a sober-looking stone church on the outskirts of Port Charlotte; ''My wife and I were married there.'' At the little Museum of Islay Life in Port Charlotte, he proudly shows me a picture of himself as a robust young cooper with a '70s haircut, building a barrel at Bowmore. He worked at almost every other job at the distillery before rising to executive level.

One of his first jobs, McEwan tells me one evening as we dine at the delightful little Bridgend Hotel on the mussels we've gathered that day (followed by chicken breast stuffed with haggis in a Drambuie cream sauce), was mucking out the sheep pen at the local slaughterhouse. He was paid, he claims, in sheep heads—which he would load into a baby carriage and sell from door to door for five pence apiece for the making of sheep's-head soup, one of the glories of Scottish home cooking. This may well be true—but McEwan is a great storyteller with an impish sense of humor: Bowmore gave one of its old bonded storage warehouses, next to the distillery, to the town some years ago for use as a health club with an indoor pool—the only one on the island. The water in the pool circulates through the distillery tanks, McEwan tells me, thus heating it at no cost to the municipality. Every Thursday, he says, a group of local senior citizens known as the Sunshine Club comes there to swim.

''The day I retire,'' he continues with a grin, ''I'll switch a valve…'' Tags: Island Hopping Whisky Tour Island Hopping Whisky Tour Start Date: 11 Nights / 12 Days Group Size: Any Group Size The Scottish Islands stretch from the Shetlands in the far north, just 6 degrees south of the Arctic Circle, to the remote Western Isles, made from some of the oldest rocks on Earth. The dramatic landscapes are divided by countless rivers and lochs and the western coasts are edged by miles of sandy beaches. The Scottish Islands contain some of the best distillers of single malt whiskies in the world. Set on remote islands and in hidden coves, the Island Whisky Trail will introduce you to some of the most beautiful and romantic scenery in the world. Make an enquiry about this tour Profile The aim of this tour is to give you a taste of the heritage and cultures of the Scottish Isles and a chance to visit the most remote malt whisky distilleries in Scotland. You will have the opportunity to experience the whole process, from the malting and mashing to fermentation, distillation, maturation and bottling.

Many of the distilleries are in beautiful stunning locations and you will be able to explore the attractions and delights of the local villages and towns. The distilleries and attractions you visit can be adapted to what you want to see. 1 Why not create your own tour? As with all our tours the attractions you see will take account of your interests and can be adapted to what you want to see. So, if you want to see places not on the list below, just let us know. Complete our enquiry form to find out more » Itinerary Day 1: Edradour - Dalwhinnie - Macallan From Edinburgh, we travel up the whisky smuggler’s route to Speyside, calling at EDRADOUR, Scotland’s smallest distillery, producing fine single malts on a farmhouse scale. Passing Blair Castle, where they have the pipes of Bonnie Prince Charlie, we stop at DALWHINNIE distillery, the highest in Scotland at 1073 feet. We are staying overnight in the Speyside area, the home of Scottish whisky. Time permitting, we can sample the delights of The MACALLAN distillery, with their famous oaky, resiny sherried flavour whiskies.

This distillery provides an exceptionally good, interesting and detailed tour. Day 2: Glenmorangie - Clynelish - Old Pultney From Speyside we drive up the dramatic East coast to GLENMORANGIE, home of the biggest selling whisky in Scotland, overlooking the barley fields of the Black Isle. Then to CLYNELISH, standing on a landscaped hillside near the fishing and golf resort of Brora. Travelling further up towards John O’ Groats we stop at the OLD PULTENEY, the most northerly distillery on the mainland. It stands just a few yards from the harbour in the town of Wick, designed by Thomas Telford as a model fishing port. From here, we travel to Scrabster to catch the evening FERRY to Stromness, on Orkney. Day 3: Highland Park - Orkney Prehistoric Sites Today we explore Orkney, beginning at the HIGHLAND PARK distillery where we try the distinctly heathery flavour captured from the island’s peat. Samples are taken from the oak casks, seasoned with Olorosso sherry.

We explore the Norman cathedral of St MAGNUS, Orkney’s patron saint, before visiting some remarkable Neolithic treasures. These include the chambered tomb of MAES HOWE - the oldest stone house still standing in northern Europe and SKARA BRAE - a remarkably preserved village dating from 3,000BC. The RING OF BRODGAR is a wonderful stone circle between two lochs. Day 4: Glen Ord - Dalmore Back on the mainland, the MacKenzies Clan feature largely in the development of the GLEN ORD distillery. The family was granted lands in the west of Scotland by King Alexander III as early as 1263 and the distillery is situated in a village called Muir of Ord, meaning ’ the moor by the hill’. The whisky is still produced according to time honoured traditions and has a spicy, malty flavour with a dry finish. DALMORE boasts an unusual still-house and the warehouses are by the waters of Cromarty Firth. Most of the whiskies are finished in sherry butts producing a rich, marmalade flavour.

Day 5: Loch Ness - Urquhart - Eilean Donan A sightseeing day as we make our way to the Isle of Skye. From the hills over Inverness there are superb views of LOCH NESS, home of the legendary monster. URQUHART CASTLE is Scotland’s largest and most well-known ruined castle. It was blown to pieces by government supporters in 1692 to prevent it from falling into Jacobite hands. Passing EILEAN DONAN, the most beautiful romantic castle in the country, we cross the bridge to the Isle of Skye. This is largest of the Inner Hebrides where we stay in Portree, meaning ‘Port of the King’, named after a visit by James V in 1540. Day 6: Isle of Skye - Talisker - Dunvegan Castle Skye is the most spectacular of the Scottish Island and we will drive around the scenic north of the island, an area known as THE TROTTERNISH. The OLD MAN OF STORR, a monolith rises 150 feet into the sky. Skye’s only distillery, is home of the volcanically powerful TALISKER malt.

With its distinctively peppery character it is said to “explode on the palate”. The distillery uses traditional cooling coils or “worm tubs” which makes a fuller flavour than a modern condenser. DUNVEGAN CASTLE is the seat of the Clan Macleod before returning to Portree to sample the award winning seafood restaurants. Day 7: Ferry - Ben Nevis - Highland Views We begin by catching the ferry from Skye to Mallaig. Here we follow the magnificent route of the Jacobite steam train, made famous as the Hogwarts Express, from Mallaig to Fort William. We pass the GLENFINNAN MONUMENT, which celebrates those who rose in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745. On arriving at Fort William we visit the BEN NEVIS distillery, so called because it is overlooked by the tallest mountain in Britain. We stop to taste the fragrant, waxy fruitiness of the malts before visiting the COMMANDO MEMORIAL, an imposing monument with Ben Nevis in the background. Day 8: Mull - Tobermory - Castles Today, we drive down the west coast to catch the ferry to MULL.

This is a wild and beautiful island with over 300 miles of dramatic scenic coastline and stunning beaches which rise to the peak of Mulls’ highest mountain Ben More at 3,000 feet. We visit the TOBERMORY distillery to sample their Iona whisky, named after the small Island where St Columba began his mission in Scotland in 563. We see the stunning castles of TOROSAY and DUART. Duart is the home of Clan Maclean and you visit the Banqueting Hall and State Rooms within the C13th keep. Day 9: Oban - Jura - Caol Ila - Bunnahabhain From Mull, we cross to Oban, gateway to the Islands and home of the OBAN distillery, placed on the main street, facing the sea. Then the ferry to JURA, named after the Norse word for deer, where we sample whisky named after the Island’s most famous inhabitant, George Orwell. We leave Jura to arrive at Islay where we stop at the distillery of CAOL ILA, nestling in a cove near the port.

Before arriving at your accommodation, we visit BUNNAHABHAIN, the most hidden of the Islay distilleries, which is so close to the sea that a kerb has been built to stop cars from rolling into the sea. Day 10: Ardbeg - Laphroaig - Bowmore We start the morning at ARDBEG, a distillery originally run by smugglers and famous for its peaty flavours. The Old Kiln restaurant here is a venue used by French writer-cook Martine Nouet who writes in Whisky Magazine. Neighbouring distillery LAPHROAIG has the most medicinal of malts. “Love it or hate it” says their advertising slogan. Its founder died by falling into one of the vats in 1847. BOWMORE, the capital of Islay, but barely more than a hamlet. We visit the famous Bowmore Vaults, where the whisky spends decades below sea level in damp cellars.

Day 11: Kintyre - Springbank - Arran We take the ferry to Kennacraig and head down the narrow peninsula of KINTYRE, to Campeltown, perched by the headland known as the Mull of Kintyre, made famous in the song by Paul McCartney. Hanging from a narrow stretch of land only one mile wide, Kintyre is itself almost an island. Here we visit the SPRINGBANK distillery and discover the flavours of the Longrow and Hazelburn malts. The town has had almost 30 distilleries over the years. We travel up the East coast of the peninsula to Claonaig where we catch the ferry to Lochranza on the ISLE OF ARRAN. Day 12: Arran - Castles - Ferry Arran is often known as ‘Scotland in miniature’. It is a condensed version of the best that Scotland has to offer, with pretty coastal villages, rugged mountains and woodland. We stop at the relatively new ARRAN DISTILLERY, opened in 1995.

Here, we have lunch in the distillery’s fine restaurant before heading to the MACHINE MOOR STONE CIRCLES, BRODICK CASTLE & GARDEN Garden and the ferry to Ardrossan, where we return to Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Question: The Laphroaig & Bowmore whisky distilleries are found on which Scottish island?
Answer: Islay